Lewis & Short

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spissē, adv., v. spissus fin.

spissus, a, um, adj. [root spi-, to press; cf. Lith. spitu].

  1. I. Lit., thick, crowded, close, compact, dense (mostly poet and in post-Aug. prose; syn.: crassus, densas): durata ac spissa, Lucr. 2, 444: corpus, id. 6, 127: liquor, Ov. M. 12, 438: sanguis, id. ib. 11, 367: aër, id. ib. 1, 23: grando, id. ib. 9, 222 et saep.: corona Non tam spissa viris, Verg. A. 9, 509; so, coronae, Hor. A. P. 381: sedilia, id. ib. 205: theatra, id. Ep. 1, 19, 41: coma, id. C. 3, 19, 25; cf.: nemorum comae, id. ib. 4, 3, 11: ramis laurea, id. ib. 2, 15, 9: harena, Verg. A. 5, 336; cf. litus, Ov. M. 15, 718: tunica, of a close texture, Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 46: navis juncturis aquam excludentibus, Sen. Ep. 76: caligo, Ov. M. 7, 528: noctis umbrae, Verg. A. 2, 621: tenebrae, Petr. 114, 3: nubes, Ov. Am. 1, 13, 30; id. M. 5, 621; Curt. 4, 3, 16; 8, 13, 24.
    Comp.: semen, Col. 4, 33, 3: ignis, Luc. 9, 604.
    Sup.: spississima arbor (ebenus et buxus), Plin. 16, 40, 76, § 204: minimum ex nequitiā levissimumque ad alios redundat; quod pessimum ex illā est et, ut ita dicam, spississimum, domi remanet et premit habentem, Sen. Ep. 81, 21.
    1. B. Transf., of time.
      1. 1. Slow, tardy, late (rare but class.): omnia tarda et spissa, Cic. Att. 16, 18, 2; cf.: in utroque genere dicendi exitus spissi et producti esse debent, id. de Or. 2, 53, 213.
      2. 2. Spissum illud amanti est verbum, Veniet nisi venit, Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 77: nihil ego spei credo, omnes res spissas facit, Caecil. ap. Non. 392, 15; Pac., Titin., and Turp. ib. sq.: haruspices si quid boni promittunt, pro spisso evenit; Id quod mali promittunt, praesentiarum est, slowly, late, Plaut. Poen. 3, 5, 47.
      3. 3. Thick, i. e. in quick succession, rapid, frequent, fast, = continuus, creber (very rare): spississima basia, Petr. 31, 1.
  2. II. Trop., hard, difficult (rare but class.): spissum sane opus et operosum, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 14, 1: si id erit spissius, id. Fam. 2, 10, 4: si est aliquanto spissius, id. de Or. 3, 36, 145.
    Hence, adv.: spissē.
      1. 1. Thickly, closely: calcare carbones, Plin. 36, 25, 63, § 188.
        Comp., Col. 2, 9, 2; Plin. 29, 2, 9, § 31.
      2. 2. Transf.
        1. a. Slowly: tu nimis spisse atque tarde incedis, Naev. ap. Non. 392, 25: habet hoc senectus, cum pigra est ipsa, ut spisse omnia videantur confieri, Pac. ib. 393, 4: cum spisse atque vix ad Antonium pervenimus, Cic. Brut. 36, 138.
          Comp.: nascimur spissius quam emorimur, Varr. ap. Non. 392, 29.
        2. * b. Rapidly: basiavit me spissius, Petr. 18, 4.